Master link for potato chains



March 31, 1953 D. s. PoTTs MASTER LINK FOR PoTATo CHAINS Filed April 11, 1951 FIE'J IN V EN TOR. Dan f- Parr;

Arromvsys Patented Mar. 31, 1953 OFFICE ,y

, MASTER LINK Fon roTA'rocHAINs c,

' Doyle s. Potts, Billings, lupin.l j l Application April 11, 1951, Serial No.` 220,454r

(ol. lss-195) 3 Claims.

v This invention relates generally -to improve- -ments 'in the endless conveyors used for convey- Jing, elevating `and grading potatoes andsimilar root crops and which conveyors are generally -called potato chains. Morespecilically the invention presents a quick attachable-detachable -master1' link for such structures. ,-IOne' example ofthe general type of conveyor here` in mindis disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,077,941 and` the vconveyor consists oi a plurality oflinksf which are arranged parallel, crosswise of the direction of travel, and have offset hooks formed atftheir ends for engaging over the end portions of adjacent links,thus making up a 4wide flexible chain which is trained. over and vdriven by` suitable sprockets. `made .up of single pieces `of rod iron and maybe The links are quite long, thus forming a wide chain or open,

grill-like apron well adapted to use in conveying,

it'is necessary to use pinch bars or other pry `tools to' pull the ends of the chain assembly to- '.gether in order to force the hooks of the new link into engagement'with the next adjacent link, and this problem is complicated by the fact that the hooks themselves are quite long and the chain must be pulled very tight before the -illLQOkS will slip into place. This is so even if the chain itself is loosened before installing the new link and however the work is carried out it takes time and often results in barked knuckles.

It-"is--the primary Object Vof my inventionI to solve this problemby the provision of a quick lat'Qtacllable-Kdetachable master link which may be'-usedatoasselnble new linksinto a chain as required, with a minimum of time and effort. To this end I provide -a master link made up of separable link sections, substantially half the length of the common link, with hooks at their opposite ends so that they may be assembled into the chain, and with means for securing the link sections rmly together when the chain is assembled. These separate link sections act as levers or handles for connecting the ends of the chain, since the link sections may be held angularly to the chain, the hooks engaged and the link sections then pulled into alignment, Veasily drawingthe chain to its proper tautness, where.,h upon the link sections are fastened togetherand the operation completed. No tools are `needed .other thanl a` wrench .or the like for fastening the masterlink sections together.

Another object `of my invention is to provide a master link of this .type which is .simpleland inexpensive to `manufactureand.,which: in v,its presently preferred form consistsV ofapainof |hooked link sections and a sleeve with setscrews for telescopicallyreceiving the ends of the sections and securing them together, all as. wi1l..be presently set forth.`` f

These and other more detailed-and specific objects vwill be disclosed in the course off the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,` in whichj l Fig. 1 is a plan view of a section of a conveyor or potato chain made `up of common links, showing my improved master link in the process-of drawing the adjacent ends of the chain together.

Fig-2 is a similar View with the chain assembly complete. l f i Fig. 3 is an edge view of the assembled with master link. l l

Fig. 4 is a `perspective view, partially in secfvtion, ofthe sleeve for connecting the-master link sections.

YReferring now more particularly and by reference characters to the drawing a conventional potato chain structure is shown, consisting of common links, designated generally at I0, each comprising a transverse cross rod or link rod II, the opposite ends of which are bent at: I2 to form angular arms I3 which are in turn bent upwardly (as viewed in the drawing) at I4 into 4hooks i5 lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of the rod II but at Aangles to thearms I3.

As clearly shown the arrangement lis such that the hooks i5 will engage over the adjacent cross rods II just within the bends I2 thus forming a flexible endless chain, or grill-like apron conveyoryancl the length 'of thecross' rodsnl Lmay that the links will wear quite rapidly and will require frequent replacement. Breakage of the links also occurs with the same result.

It is believed that it will be readily appreciated that the re-connection of the ends of a long chain of this type, after a link has worn out or been broken, will represent a considerable problem, When the new link has had its cross rod II placed in the hooks at one end of the chain considerable force will be required to overtighten the chain enough so that the hooks I of Ythe new link may be engaged with the cross rod at the other end of the chain. These hooks I5 cannot be shortened to help out in such installation, since the chain might then come apart,

and it is at present necessary to pull and pry at the chain with pinch bars or the like until the new link can be forced into place. This requires much time and effort and all too frequently results in injury to the worker or damage to the chain. l l

According to my invention I provide a master link, designated generally at I6, which when assembled as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 operates exactly like any common link in the chain but which completely solves the problem of new link installation. As here shown the master link comprises separable half link sections I'I and I8 the opposite ends of which have the same bends |23, arms I 3, bends IIIa and hooks I5av as the corresponding portions I2, I3, I4 and I5 of the common links I0. Each link section II and I8 is, however, not more than one-half the overall length of the common links and when the chain is assembled said link sections I'I and I8 are arranged end to end in a tubular connectingr sleeve I9 into which the sections telescope (Fig. 2). This sleeve has tapped openings through its wall to receive set screws to secure the link sections I'I and I8 firmly in place, and if desired the link sections may be provided with ats 2I, where they are engaged by these screws, for added security in the fastening.

In the operation of this master link, assuming the chain to be ready for re-connection after replacement of a worn or broken link, the adjacent ends of the chain are brought as close together as possible. With the master link I6 opened and the sleeve I9 slipped fully onto either link section II or I8 these sections are then held at an angle as seen in Fig. l, through the hooks I5 at one end of the chain while the hooks I5a are engaged with the cross bar II of the opposite end of the chain. The link sections then act as handles or levers, and they may be grasped and pulled toward alignment in the direction of the arrows, in which operation the link sections easily exert suiiicent leverage to draw the chain to proper tautness. When the link sections I`I-I8 are in line the sleeve I9 is returned to the center and the set screws 20 tightened to complete the operation. It will be quite obvious that the complete operation of opening the chain, installing a new link and then pulling the chain back to working condition may be carried out easily and rapidly and with no other tool than a wrench for the set screws 20. The latter, as noted in the drawing, are so placed that they will not damage the crop.

Only a single master link will be required for each chain although for convenience two or more may be used if so desired, particularly in very long chains.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. For a potato conveyor chain of the type having a plurality of common links each with hooks at its ends for engagement with the adjacent link, a master. link for connecting up the common links, said master link comprising two sectionsneach less than the length of a common link and having hooks for engaging the common links and acting as levers on adjacent links to pull the chain together, and means for releasably fastening the master link sections together.

2. For la potato conveyor chain of the type having a plurality of common links each with hooks at its ends for engagement with the adjacent link, a master link for connecting up the common links, said master link comprising two sections each less than the length of a common link and having hooks for engaging the common links and acting as levers on adjacent links whereby said link sections will pull the chain taut, and one of said sections having means forming an extension to overlie the other section and fasten the link sections together.

3. For a potato conveyor chain of the type having a plurality of common links each with hooks at its ends for engagement with the adjacent link, a master link for connecting up the common links, said master link comprising two sections each substantially one-half the length of a common link and having hooks for engaging the common links and acting as levers on adjacent links whereby the said link sections may be used to pull the chain taut, a tubular sleeve telescoped over one master link section and adapted to slide across onto the other link section when the chain is assembled, and means on said sleeve for securing the same to the master link sections.

DOYLE S. POTTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,181 Nash et al June 16, 1891 1,647,802 Josef Nov. l, 1927 1,985,535 De Wahl Dec. 25, 1934 

